Garment with attached shaper

ABSTRACT

A undergarment having elasticized fabric to support a body part, where the undergarment is fastened to an outer garment, and where the undergarment defines an aperture in a crotch area of a wearer.

CROSS-REFERENCE FROM RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/749,047 filed on Dec. 12, 2005 and entitled Garment With Attached Shaper, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a body shaper, girdle, corset or other inner garment that may be attached to a pants, skirt, dress or outer garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A person may wear a body shaper, girdle, corset or other supportive inner garment under an outer garment such as a skirt, pants or dress. Such a shaper may be used with various styles or fits of outer garments though the shaper may not be appropriate for the specific outer garment under which it is worn. Some people object to wearing a shaper for emotional reasons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, there may be provided an undergarment for the lower body including a cylindrically shaped fabric to encircle a circumference of an abdomen, where the fabric includes an elasticized area to support a body part in the area of the undergarment, and where the undergarment includes a leg loop through which a leg of a wearer is passed, and including a fastener to fasten the undergarment to an outer garment and where the parts of the undergarment define an aperture in a crotch of area of the undergarment. In some embodiments, the leg loop may include a cylindrically shaped fabric to encircle a thigh area of a wearer, and fabric in an area of such thigh may include elasticized fabric. In some embodiments, the fastener may include a permanent fastener and may include one or more sewn stitches to connect the undergarment with the outer garment, such as a skirt, a dress and a pants.

In some embodiments, an elasticized area of the undergarment may correspond to an area of the outer garment that is snug, tight or otherwise in contact with a body part. In some embodiments, a hole or empty area of the undergarment may define an aperture a front crotch. In some embodiments there may be defined two apertures, defined in part by a support band under a buttocks area, so that there is a first aperture in a front crotch area and a second aperture in a rear crotch area. In some embodiments, the aperture extends from a front of the undergarment in an area approximating a pubis bone, to a back of the undergarment in an area approximating a coccyx.

In some embodiments, an elasticized area pulls or holds a body part away from an area of the outer garment that is in contact with the elasticized area. In some embodiments, the undergarment may include a fabric band extending outward from the undergarment, and that connects the undergarment the fastener which is then connected to the outer garment. In some embodiments, the fabric band is under or posterior to a waist band of said garment. In some embodiments, the fabric band is a continuation of or part of a waist band of said undergarment.

In some embodiments the fastener is selected from the group consisting of a sewn stitch, zipper, a VELCRO tape, a button, and a snap.

Some embodiments may include a method of girding an abdomen with an undergarment that includes a fabric formed into a cylindrical shaped, where the fabric includes an elasticized area to support a body part in the area of the undergarment, and where the undergarment defines an aperture in a crotch of the undergarment, and where the undergarment includes a fastener to secure the undergarment to an outer garment; and where the method includes inserting legs into leg loops of the undergarment.

In some embodiments a method may include girding the abdomen with an outer garment attached to the undergarment.

Some embodiments may include supporting a lower buttock with an elasticized band running from a first lateral side of the undergarment to a second lateral side of the undergarment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding, analogous or similar elements, and in which:

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E are illustrations of a shaper attached or fastenable to an outer garment, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and rear views of a shaper with rear support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3A is a front view, and FIG. 3B is a rear view of a full length shaper in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. However it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments of the invention.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, a conceptual illustration of a shaper attached to an outer garment such as pants, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, a shaper 100 in the form of for example a girdle, corset or other undergarment for a man or a woman that may shape or contain a body form or body part may be attached by for example a waist band 102 of such shaper 100 or extensions 104 of such waist band 102 to a pants, dress, suit or skirt or other outer garment 106 in an area of such shaper 100. An upper portion of shaper 100 that may surround an abdomen, lower body or tummy may be cylindrically shaped and may gird or encircle the lower abdomen to provide support for such area of the body of a wearer in an area of shaper 100.

In some embodiments, shaper 100 may include one, two, three or more bands or fabrics such as a stretch fabric such as for example elastic or elasticized fabric 108, that may be sewn, fastened or otherwise attached to for example a waist band 102 of the shaper 100 and to for example an inner portion or inner side of outer garment 106. Other points of attachment are possible. In some embodiments, shaper 100 or a portion of the shaper 100 such as for example an extension of the upper waist band 102 and/or some other portion may be stitched sewn, woven into or otherwise permanently or removably fastened to outer garment 106. In some embodiments, shaper 100 may be detachable and re-attachable to outer garment 108, and for example, buttoned, VELCRO™ taped, snapped, zippered or otherwise connected, disconnected and reconnected to for example outer garment 108. Shaper 100 may be connected to outer garment 108 at several points in addition to or instead of waist band 102 or of extensions that may protrude or come out of waist band. For example, in some embodiments, a second or additional band may be connected to or part of shaper 100, below a waist band so that the connection of shaper 100 to outer garment 108 is not at a top of shaper 100 but rather lower down on the support portion of shaper 100.

Shaper 100 may be fashioned of a suitable supportive or elasticized fabric 108 as is known for girdles, corsets and other supportive undergarments. In some embodiments, shaper 100 may be fashioned to provide support to the areas of a body that are highlighted or are particularly tight fitting on the outer garment 106 so that the area of shaper 100 that provides support corresponds to an area of outer garment 108 that highlights or is in contact with a body part. For example, and referring to FIG. 1B, if a jeans, slacks or outer garment is snug around a back side, shaper 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, may be particularly supportive in a back side, by for example providing an additional panel or band 112 that may link two legs loops 110 around the back side or under the buttocks of the wearer, or so that a first lateral side 115A of shaper 100 is pulled towards a second lateral side 115B of shaper 100. In some embodiments, other areas of a body may be supported with for example a tighter or heavier area of elasticized fabric 108 in specific areas of the shaper 100 to match a fit of an outer garment 106 so that body areas are held away from a snuggly fitting area of outer garment 108.

Referring to FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E, shaper 100 may include leg bands or leg loops 110 through which the leg of a wearer may be passed and that may gird or encircle the leg of a wearer and may hold the shaper 100 in place. Leg loops 110 may extend for example from around or above a hip joint 116 and pass between the legs. In some embodiments, shaper 100 and leg loops 110 may define a space or irregularly shaped aperture 114 that is left open by shaper 100. Such aperture may in some embodiments approximate a crotch area of a wearer, such as for example from approximately a pubis bone in the front of a wearer to a coccyx in the rear. Referring to FIG. 1B, band 112 may divide the aperture into two or more apertures 114, one in a front crotch area and one in a back crotch area.

In some embodiments, shaper 100 may be worn with regular underwear which may be laundered, while the aperture 114 or open areas of shaper 100 may retain a cleanliness of, obviate the need to launder, the shaper 100 as frequently as regular underwear.

Reference is made to FIGS. 2A and 2B, front and back views of a brief shaper in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments shaper 100 may be constructed with an open crotch area that may be open in one of or both of a front and a back. In some embodiments elasticized fabric 108 may cover all or most of a back side of a wearer.

Reference is made to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a front and back view of a full length shaper 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A full length shaper 300 may be attached by one or more of for example permanent or removeable straps, bands or other clasping or attaching devices 302 to an outer garment. The full length shaper 300 may in some embodiments, include an open crotch area in one or more of a front 304A and back 304B of a wearer. The full length shaper 300 may be attached to an outer garment in areas other than or in addition to a waist area The full length shaper 300 may include cylindrically shaped leg support areas 306 that may be constructed of elasticized fabric and that may provide support to a thigh area of a wearer.

Reference is made to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In block 400, a wearer may gird an abdomen with an undergarment that includes a fabric formed into a cylindrical shape, where the fabric has an elasticized area to support a body part in the area of the undergarment, and where the fabric defines an aperture in a crotch of the undergarment. The undergarment is also fastened to an outer garment such as a pants, skirt or dress worn by the wearer of the undergarment.

In block 402, the wearer may insert legs into leg loops of the undergarment, where the leg loops encircle an upper thigh of a wearer.

In some embodiments, the elasticized fabric may support a body area that corresponds to an area of an outer garment that is snuggly fitting or is in close contact with the shaper.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the spirit of the invention. 

1. A undergarment for the lower body comprising: a cylindrically shaped fabric to encircle a circumference of an abdomen, said fabric comprising an elasticized area to support a body part in the area of said undergarment; a leg loop through which a leg of a wearer is passed; and a fastener to fasten said undergarment to an outer garment; wherein said undergarment defines an aperture in a crotch of said undergarment.
 2. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said leg loop comprises a cylindrically shaped fabric to encircle a thigh area, said cylindrically shaped fabric to encircle a thigh area comprising an elasticized fabric.
 3. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said fastener comprises a permanent fastener.
 4. The undergarment as in claim 3, wherein said outer garment is selected from the group consisting of a skirt, a dress and a pants.
 5. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said elasticized area of said undergarment corresponds to an area of said outer garment that is in contact with a said body part.
 6. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said aperture comprises a first aperture in a front crotch, and comprising: a support band under a buttocks area; and wherein said undergarment defines a second aperture in a rear crotch area.
 7. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said elasticized area supports said body part away from an area of said outer garment that is in contact with said elasticized area.
 8. The undergarment as in claim 1, comprising a fabric band extending outward from said undergarment, said band connected by way of said fastener to said outer garment.
 9. The undergarment as in claim 8, wherein said fabric band is under a waist band of said garment.
 10. The undergarment as in claim 8, wherein said fabric band comprises a waist band of said undergarment.
 11. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said fastener comprises a fastener selected from the group consisting of a sewn stitch, zipper, a VELCRO tape, a button, and a snap.
 12. The undergarment as in claim 1, wherein said aperture extends from a front of said undergarment in an area approximating a pubis bone to a back of said garment in an area approximating a coccyx.
 13. A method comprising: girding an abdomen with an undergarment, said undergarment comprising: a fabric formed into a cylindrical shaped, said fabric: comprising an elasticized area, said elasticized area to support a body part in the area of said undergarment; defining an aperture in a crotch of said undergarment a fastener to secure said undergarment to an outer garment; and inserting legs into leg loops of said undergarment.
 14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said aperture extends from a front of said crotch in an area approximating a pubic bone, to a back of said crotch in an area approximating a coccyx.
 15. The method as in claim 13, comprising girding said abdomen with said outer garment attached to said undergarment.
 16. The method as in claim 13, comprising girding an upper leg in an area approximating a thigh with an elasticized fabric attached to said leg loop.
 17. The method as in claim 13, comprising supporting an area of said abdomen with said elasticized fabric, said area of said abdomen corresponding to an area of said outer garment that is in contact with said abdomen.
 18. The method as in claim 13, comprising supporting a lower buttock with an elasticized band running from a first lateral side of said undergarment to a second lateral side of said undergarment.
 19. The method as in claim 13, wherein said fastener is to secure said undergarment to said outer garment selected from the group consisting of a skirt, a dress and a pants. 